Two Ways to Fortify Your Immune System for Fall by Anna Mattrioti

October 07, 2016

With the change of Summer to Fall comes the delight of crisp afternoons and vibrant color displays as the trees drop their leaves to get ready for winter. It also marks the beginnings of cold and flu season. One of the most powerful ways to protect yourself from colds and flus is to build your digestive fire. Good digestion is necessary for immune health. Over seventy percent of your immune system is located in your gut, and the health of your gut directly impacts your overall immune system. Sadly, many of us have poor digestion due to a variety of lifestyle and stress factors but here are two easy ways to bring back your fire:

• Use Bitters: Your stomach is one of the first lines of defense for your body. Pathogens that come into your body should be destroyed by the digestive juices of the stomach, but, if you don’t have adequate digestive juices these pathogens can cause illness. Digestive Bitters stimulate digestive secretions and also increase the activity of the entire digestive tract.

• Slow down when you eat: Eating quickly or while you are stressed causes the body to not release its gastric juices and digestion becomes compromised. Spend the time to slow down… its simple but not easy! Taking 3 slow deep breaths before eating is a powerful way to help the body turn on digestion. It is necessary for health and worth the effort.

Once you have fortified your digestion the next step is to boost your immune system. Over the next few months, your body is going to be battered by the changes in weather and exposure to the many strains of cold and flu that are going around. If there is one herb to get you through, it is Astragalus.

• Astragalus is a mild tasting root, and powerful way to build immunity. It is easy to use and very affordable. It can be used for all ages and has many benefits in addition to building immunity.

• Astragalus is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as immune booster and can be purchased in a variety of preparations including capsules and tinctures. Astragalus is most effective when used long term so start now and use as often as possible throughout the Fall and into Winter!

Incorporating these two things into your Fall routine will not only help you avoid all the colds and flus, they will increase your overall health and wellbeing! Happy Fall!
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